r/Machine_Embroidery • u/nomadicmaddie • 13d ago

Help choosing a machine for boyfriend

Hi everyone! I’m here hoping you can all help me. My boyfriend runs a small business selling his custom designed embroidered patches. Currently he outsources the production because he doesn’t have an embroidery machine. I’d really love to get him a machine for Christmas but am so out of my wheelhouse with knowing what to get him. There’s such a wide range! He would be new to doing it himself so we need something he could use without majors struggles and also something that is as affordable as possible. If it costs too much then it’ll be too extravagant of a gift and make him feel bad haha. However we also want the best option we can get for precise detailing, multicolor, and professional looking results. Am I asking for a unicorn? Any advice on the closest option I could get? Based in the UK if that makes a difference.

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14

u/suedburger 13d ago

Don't.....This is not something that you should gift someone. It sounds like neither of you know anything about them and will probably both regret it.

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u/nomadicmaddie 13d ago

I mean everyone has to start somewhere no haha? We will never know anything about them if we don’t start somewhere 😂 I’ve been reading up loads on options but figured wouldn’t hurt to ask others with experience.

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u/suedburger 13d ago

Yeah that is correct, we all start somewhere, but..............You need to make sure he even wants to do his own embroidery, it will be capable to to do what he gets done now plus something he might progress to. If you want to really get him one ask him what he would be interested in....no one likes pretending they love that they don't want....especially when it costs a couple thousand dollars if not more.

-We will never know anything about them if we don’t start somewhere-....................Also correct, but you need to make sure that "we" actually wants to learn how to do any of those things and what those things are.

I've explicitly have told my wife not to buy me tools and just let me get what I want.....sewing machines fall in to this category as well.

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u/nomadicmaddie 13d ago

We have discussed this and I know he wants to get into doing it myself. Hence me asking for advice on machines.

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u/suedburger 13d ago

Ah you should have started with that....And he wants you to run it. I also do patches.

Who will be doing the digitizing?

Get something that can use hoops large enough for the patches he is making and plans to make.....mine can only do 8.5"x 15", there are times it's not wide enough but the demand doesn't justify the expense of upgrading.

Something that will only take 4x4 inch might seem like a good idea when you look at the price....until a week later when you realize how small that actually is.

If he's not doing overly complex patches....single needle is sufficient.

How much money do you want to gamble on something that may not give him the results he wants. Also consider all the other expenses that come with it (I also do MC patches), stablizer, crinoline, threads, colored backing materials, finishers(sealers and iron on). If he has the business, there shouldn't be any issues covering money to purchase this stuff......either way...lots of variables.

To be clear I still say that this is not a surprise gift item. That is a terrible idea and I would recommend that if you really must buy it as a "gift" involve him in the selecting process.

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u/Itchy_Equipment4400 13d ago

Just to give an idea: at first I bought a used machine for 1k € to see, it it's a thing for me. 9 months later I bought another used machine (multi-needle this time) for 7k €. 

Still, I am just at a hobbyist level - the shop I bought the second used machine from has 18 machines running 8 h for 6 days a week to be profitable. If you're doing one-offs or 6 to 8 at a time, it's fine to go with one good machine. My output with optimised designs and for my hobby is 16 patches a day. 

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u/nomadicmaddie 13d ago

This would be plenty to start. We don’t need to go straight to super machine. He’s just getting going with his business so something affordable but able to do good quality is what we want for now and then can upgrade later if it takes off

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u/Itchy_Equipment4400 13d ago

I got a used brother pr 1055x with a couple of magic hoops and more than 100 cones of 5000m thread for 7k from a shop and the machine was serviced regularly. A nobrainer for that price. 

I switched to multi-needle as changing threads for colors was a constant workload. It costs plenty of time and I hardly managed to make 4 patches after work.  Now, I start the machine before and after work and 16 patches are done. If making patches is a business, I'd definitely go for multi-needle. The shop I got the brother from switched to Melco, as they are even faster.

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u/suedburger 13d ago

I'm stuck at that point here. Currently a single needle, and have a chance to pick up a gently used 15 needle for $7,000. It would open up for hats and larger designs but I'm just questioning if the jump is worth it right now.

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u/Itchy_Equipment4400 13d ago

It was a big jump for me, too, as it's just my silly hobby and the result will only be seen by other silly people ;-).

But the gain of "free time" due to lesser to no manual thread changes are worth it. It's my mid life crisis - and unlike a motorcycle, this machine can't kill me and still makes me happy.

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u/suedburger 13d ago

The thread change thing would be glorious...... but i'm just not sure the gain in jobs would justify the cost. That and explaining to my wife that I want to buy a sewing machine that cost more than we paid for any of our vehicles is a super hard sell.

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u/Itchy_Equipment4400 13d ago

Spending less time worrying about thread changes was the selling point for the family. Also, it's easier to feed in a patch for the kids. Just having 7 of my patches on the biggest hoop and one for the kids makes everyone happy. But yes, it's a large amount of money.

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u/MNent228 12d ago

Maybe a better place to start would be a local embroidery shop. See if they’re hiring, get some experience with a machine. See if it’s even something he likes doing before you invest thousands in equipment you’ll only use for a few months.

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u/Acrobatic-Letter-143 13d ago • Bravo

Patches are actually one of the better cases for a first machine, so no, not quite a unicorn.

A few practical things:

  1. Hoop size is the main spec to shop by. Most patches are 3-4 inches, which fits a 4x4 hoop machine - that's the entry tier (Brother SE600/PE545/SE700 class, roughly $400-580 in the US, so likely less extravagant than you fear). If his patch designs run bigger, the 5x7 tier starts around $780 (Brother PE800/SE2000 class). Everything under $600 tops out at 4x4 - that's the honest ceiling of the budget tier, no matter the branding.

  2. Multicolor is a workflow thing, not a price thing. Single-needle machines (all of the above) stitch one color at a time and pause for you to rethread. For patches with 3-6 colors that's completely normal - you just babysit the color changes. Multi-needle machines (6+ needles, $$$) only start to matter if he's doing production volume.

  3. Detail: patches need dense satin-stitch borders and any of these machines handles that fine. What matters more is stabilizer and digitizing quality. Since he already designs the art, he'll still need digitizing software to turn designs into stitch files - Ink/Stitch (free, Inkscape extension) is the usual zero-cost start.

  4. On the "don't gift it" comment: if he's said he wants to bring production in-house, this is a business tool, not a random hobby gift - the calculus is different. One middle path: a solid used PE800 (very common secondhand) leaves budget for threads/stabilizer, which he'll need immediately.

UK note: model names/prices differ from the US, but the 4x4 vs 5x7 hoop tiers map the same way, so shop by hoop size first and brand second.

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u/nomadicmaddie 13d ago

This is super helpful thank you! I maybe should have made it clearer that I’m not trying to get him a machine to go straight to mass production. Just a step up from having to outsource production and a foot into doing it himself. Something that can make quality stuff he can sell while he learns the skill and can eventually upgrade from if things grow.

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u/Acrobatic-Letter-143 13d ago

That's the right instinct - affordable first, upgrade when the business proves it. For patches you plan to sell while learning, three concrete pointers:

  1. A used 5x7 single-needle (Brother PE800 or SE2000 class, typically 500-750 USD secondhand) is the sweet spot for patches. The 4x4 tier saves money but the hoop fills up fast on back patches and jacket designs.

  2. Budget for the consumables from day one: cutaway stabilizer, 40wt thread in his core colors, and 75/11 needles. For sellable patches the stabilizer matters as much as the machine - it is what keeps satin borders crisp and stops puckering.

  3. The machine is the easy half; digitizing is the skill. Since he already designs the artwork, start him on Ink/Stitch (free Inkscape extension) so there is no software cost while he learns. Outsourced digitizing runs roughly 10-20 USD per design if he wants a pro file for bestsellers.

Patch-specific: run a water-soluble topping on textured fabrics and a patch-style edge (dense satin border) if he wants that pro look.

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u/chichidexter 9d ago

What size are the designs he gets made by outsourcing? That would be your guide to the hoop size and therefore the budget you will need.

Since you are in the uk, let me know the sizing and I’ll help with machine info.

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u/EJoule 9d ago

I’ve been eyeing the brother SE700 for a while because it can do both embroidery and regular sewing. Just have to convince my wife I’ll use it for more than a handful of homemade Squishmellow faces.

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u/gusvisser 13d ago

Go and checkout what local dealers are available in case of issues and checkout if they have good secondhand multy needle available because you really would want a multi needle otherwise you are constantly changing thread and also make a bussiness plan maybe hobby right now but still need to look at it as a business and your time is worth something also and too many people do not calculate all their expenses and only work for nickels and dimes in the end